Selection Criteria for Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Video Games for Language Learning

Abstract

This article addresses criteria for choosing commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) games and their implementation in the classroom and other L2
learning environments. The proposal and discussion of a set of such
criteria, which include the categories of motivation and flow, clearly
defined and spaced goals, game skills and game mechanics, content,
story and narrative, multimodality, agency, course integration and
scaffolding, and financial, technical, and administrative considerations
are the focus of this article. This discussion is followed by the analyses
of three examples of COTS games (Buzz, Heavy Rain, and SingStar)
which may be suitable in a L2 learning context.